Opinion Contributor

Why Democrats might reject Hillary Clinton in 2016

Clinton’s bumbling political touch was on full display during a recent congressional hearing in which she exclaimed, with respect to the cause of the Benghazi attack, “What difference at this point does it make?”

Nevertheless, if Woody Allen is right and 80 percent of life is showing up, Clinton may still have a chance, because she certainly has been showing up. But there are other headwinds that contradict the prevailing notion that the breeze is at her back.

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First of all, unlike Republicans, Democrats don’t stage a coronation for the last cycle’s runner-up. Reagan, Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney had all gained credibility with Republicans voters who decided it was their turn after an earlier strong primary loss.

“It’s her turn,” is what’s often said about Clinton, but Democratic primary voters don’t care whose turn it is. They have repeatedly swooned for thrilling newcomers instead.

They ditched Edmund Muskie, who’d run as vice president in 1968, for George McGovern in 1972. They ignored a slew of familiar names in 1976 to nominate Jimmy Carter, took Bill Clinton in 1992 over 1976 runner-up Jerry Brown, and of course plucked Barack Obama out of nowhere to make him the candidate in 2008. We may hardly have even heard, at this point, of the person who will best Clinton in 2016.

Or perhaps we have. The exception to the rule for Democrats is former sitting vice presidents, like Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Al Gore — all of whom were nominated. And now another, Vice President Joe Biden, seems to want the job too.

What’s more, the Benghazi scandal has clearly damaged the credibility of Clinton’s claim to competence. While her name is mentioned daily in connection with the fiasco, Biden has cleverly laid low. After associating himself with seemingly every other aspect of the Obama presidency, Biden seems to have somehow immunized himself from the scandals.

For Hillary Clinton, 2016 may come down to that God-given quality that many great politicians are gifted with: Lousy opponents. But that’s a risky formula for success.

Keith Koffler, who covered the White House as a reporter for CongressDaily and Roll Call, is editor of the blog White House Dossier.